Pro Evolution Soccer 5 - The Official Guide Review

Konami have wisely tapped into the idea that Pro Evolution Soccer is more then just a game with this yearâ??s version; across the country your skill at the beautiful game can often become a deciding factor amongst your peers, win widespread accolade against fellow gamers and bring home the girls!

Admittedly weâ??ve yet to charm our ways into a girlâ??s good books with a Marseille Roulette finished off with a 30-yard screamer, but thereâ??s little denying that being a good Pro Evo player can get you far and with the changes that Shingo â??Seabassâ? Takatsuka and his team have worked on for Pro Evolution Soccer 5, we were happy to see Piggybackâ??s â??Pro Evolution Soccer 5: The Official Guideâ??arrive through the mailbox.

Broken into eight different sections (handily colour coded) covering Introduction, How To Play, Play Modes, Team Management, Coaching Manual, Master League, Team & Player Guide, Extras and Guide & Moves Index, PES5: The Official Guide brings everything you need to master the game from its multitude of hidden tricks to the techniques needed to bring home glory in the Master League. Now Iâ??m not usually the type of person whoâ??ll shed a tear with a good book, however this had me weeping like a baby at bedtime. Previously I considered myself to be an â??ableâ? Pro Evo player, however scrutinising every word of the 200+ pages soon revealed how wrong I was. Anyone wanting to know the difference between a drop shoulder or two-footed feint; the technique to humiliate your opponent with a cheeky drag-back or perhaps tips on a squad rotation system to earn success in the Master League needs to find this book.

Each chapter features an exhaustive supply of information, admittedly some of it treads over familiar turf but this bookâ??s aim is to be the defining word on Konamiâ??s latest â?“ thereâ??s simply nothing more to know once youâ??ve mastered everything it has to offer. Handy images, diagrams and tables accompany the breakdown of each chapter, whilst the Team & Player Guide become essential to the PES aficionado; more importantly the game brings some clarification to some of the more opaque elements that Seabass seems intent to tease us with â?“ thereâ??s even quotes from the main-man on certain aspects to boot.

Although the focus of the book lies with the Playstation2 version it does include conclude information regarding the comparisons between the Xbox and PC versions, although sadly thereâ??s no information on how Konami plan to cram everything onto the PSP.

As a fellow PES fan if you think the same you need this book; you may believe you know a lot, but believe me you donâ??t really (itâ??s a kick in the knackers I know).

This book has something to teach; itâ??s comprehensive yet the structure makes it easily accessible - a true revelation akin to more holier texts and one for devotees of the religion that is Pro Evolution Soccer.

Pro Evolution Soccer 5 - £27.99 TVG Store